The Bartow Yellow Jackets will be taking part in a tournament against the Okeechobee Brahmans at 11:30 a.m. on Monday. Bartow's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Okeechobee's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bartow will head out to face Okeechobee after giving up their first home loss of the season on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets came up short against Winter Haven, falling 10-4. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Yellow Jackets, who until this game were averaging four runs allowed.
Laz Martinez
| 03/12/26 vs Winter Haven | 2 |
| 03/10/26 @ Lake Gibson | 0 |
| 02/24/26 @ Lakeland | 2 |
Bartow got a good showing from Laz Martinez, who pitched four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Martinez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Drew Fenley was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Trillion Venz was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Okeechobee, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They put the hurt on John Carroll Catholic with a sharp 8-2 win on Thursday.
Carsen Williams was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brad Phillips, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
Okeechobee's record now sits at 8-4. As for Bartow, they suffered their first home defeat, dropping their record down to 8-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Bartow has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Okeechobee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
